NDC To Host Planning Conferences for ECOWAS…

The National Defence College Nigeria will be hosting the Planning Conferences for Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Command Post Exercise scheduled for December 2019. This was disclosed when a delegation from ECOWAS paid a courtesy visit to the Commandant NDC, Rear Admiral Mackson Kadiri in his office recently.

General Francis Benhanzin (left) and the Commandant, NDC Nigeria, Rear Admiral MM Kadiri

Speaking during the visit, the leader of the ECOWAS Delegation, General Francis Benhanzin, thanked the Commandant for the continued support of the College to ECOWAS through its College Centre of Strategic Research and Studies which was designated by ECOWAS as well as African Union as the Strategic Level Training Centre of Excellence. The Centre trains very senior military, police and civilian personnel for the ECOWAS Standby Force, as part of its contribution to the development of the African Standby Force and the African Peace and Security Architecture.

General Benhanzin noted that ECOWAS Commission will be organizing a Command Post Exercise (CPX) in collaboration with ECOWAS Training Centres of Excellence (TCE), Members States and Development Partners among others. As one of the TCEs, NDC is billed to host the Initial Planning Conference (IPC), Main Planning Conference (MPC), Final Planning Conference (FPC), Scenario Development Workshop, Strategic HQs Training (SHQ) and the Exercise Play. Also, the delegation requested NDC to consider the logistical, infrastructure and communications requirement that can be committed to host the CPX.

Responding, the Commandant Rear Admiral Kadiri, thanked the leader of team for the visit. He praised ECOWAS for the contributions made to resolve conflicts in the West Africa sub region. He added that the College will continue to support ECOWAS in any capacity within its reach to ensure the successful conduct CPX 2019.